Galileo
by Altaria Volante
Summary: Galileo looked up into the sky and discovered all of these wonders, and here we are, doing the same thing, wondering if that star right there has friendly natives or that one has something like chocolate...
1. Air

A/N: Written for the stagesoflove 'five elements' challenge.

* * *

Laura sat down tiredly on a stump and briefly considered how much trouble she would get in if she curled up into the latest house and took a nap. Athosian populations were rising, much to Teyla's approval, and new, more permanent houses were being constructed monthly. This build day happened to coincide with the latest 'Athosian medical check-up day' so she figured why not volunteer for the build? Carson's 'bad things happen when I go off world' excuse hadn't morphed into a 'bad things happen when I leave the city' excuse, but it didn't hurt to keep an eye out for… things. Paint a door, plant a few flowers in a box on the window, Laura figured this would be pretty similar to the summer she spend volunteering with Habitat. She'd get her job done quickly, and Carson was always efficient with his, and they'd have the afternoon off on the sunny mainland to spend lazing in the sun.

Oh no. It's never that easy. Five hours, two new houses, one accidental fall which thankfully Carson didn't see, and Laura's group was done for the day. She stretched her arms up, working the kinks from her shoulders from her place on the stump as she watched Carson sitting in the middle of a group of Athosian children. He was fiddling with something, but she couldn't see it from this angle. Couldn't be the vaccines, they always administered those in the community hut… thing.

"Dr. Beckett told Jinto that if he convinced the children to cooperate with the doctors, he would teach them to make a toy called a kite."

Laura turned at the voice and smiled at Halling. "Ah, gotcha. It's a good day for a kite. They're flying things. I had a blue one when I was a kid. Busted it in a tree," she chuckled as Carson stood up in the middle of the group and held up his creation. He took off running, throwing the kite up into the air and leading it higher and higher as the children ran after him. "Looks like Carson had one as a kid too," she mumbled.

"He is talented with the children," Halling continued. "They do not fear him as they do some of the other doctors from the city."

"There's just something about him that you can't help but love," Laura replied quietly, watching him laugh and show one of the smaller girls how to hold the strings.

Halling nodded. "He will be a good father. Teyla says that he and you…"

"Oh Jesus, no," Laura choked, knowing where this train of thought was going. "We're just… you know, one step at a time and all that. Nothing like… that."

Halling smiled, amused by her fluster. "Of course. Forgive me for intruding on your rest, Lieutenant. We thank you for your work."

"No problem," Laura answered as he walked away. Carson did look like he was having a blast as he guided one of the boys on how to keep the kite away from the trees. A gust of wind shot up, taking the kite up with it and blowing it out of the child's hands. As the children ran to fetch the toy, Carson shook his head and caught sight of Laura sitting on the stump. He waved her over to come play with them, and Laura couldn't resist an invitation like that. Maybe if she asked nicely, he'd make her a kite all of her own. With private flying lessons, of course.


	2. Water

Carson tried to catch his breath and wipe the sweat from his forehead as Laura sprinted down the city corridor. She normally ran her laps with either Sgt. Hutchins or Lt. Ellis, but today Hutchins was in the infirmary with a sprained ankle from a harvest festival gone awry yesterday, and Ellis had just come off of night duty an hour ago and was in no mood to run. And considering what Carson would rather be doing three hours before his own shift started, he didn't blame her. Things in the infirmary had been quiet for the past few days, due in no small part to the fact that both Rodney and Colonel Sheppard had come down with a nasty case of an Athosian cold and were both holed up in quarters. A quiet infirmary meant that he could sleep well, and in his bed, which was much appreciated.

And instead of enjoying said bed, Carson was panting and trying to keep up with Laura as she ran her morning laps around the city. 'I hate to run alone,' she said. 'You know it won't be that bad.' He never enjoyed running laps – really, what kind of person ran for the sake of running? The last time he ran laps regularly was at university before rugby practice. At least after that there was a game to be played. "How much… further?" he snapped, trying not to sound as tired as he felt.

Laura laughed as she shifted course from the corridor out one of the outside doors. "Why, you failing on me, Beckett? Pick it up! Enjoy the sunshine and the sea air now!" she called back.

She had a point. The sunshine did feel good, as did the wind whipping off of the ocean as they ran along the deck barriers. The water lapped up against the side, so cool, so inviting. It looked like the ocean back home, only less beach and more expanse of water. He imagined just jumping in, floating and rocking in the gentle waves that splashed against the grey city. Laura was still laughing ahead of him, although he couldn't pinpoint why. He took one more glance at the water at his side as they passed an opening in the barrier.

Might as well give her a reason to laugh.

Before he knew it, Carson shifted direction and jumped from the opening in the barrier to the water. The water was salty and cool, just like it looked from above.

"Carson!"

He glanced up, already settling to float on his back and smile up at her as she leaned over the side. "Sorry love, can't run anymore. Man overboard."

Laura crossed her arms and stared down at him. It was obvious she was struggling not to laugh, but he gave that only a moment. "You can only be overboard on a ship."

"Atlantis is a spaceship," he pointed out nonchalantly. "That's good enough for me."

That did it. Laura burst out laughing as she settled down to sit over the edge herself. "You hated this so much you jumped off the city."

"Aye."

"Fine. I can take a hint." She cocked her head to the side and leaned back against her arms. "So… you good there?"

"Aye."

"Need any help getting out?"

Carson considered for a moment. "Aye, probably," he chuckled, floating back towards her.

"Yeah, you're just going to have to wait on that for a moment." Laura nodded thoughtfully as she considered her words. "I haven't decided if I want to help you out or call Rodney to see if he'd bother coming out and helping you. He was quiet in his quarters, right? Not underfoot at all."

Carson lifted his head from the water slightly. "You wouldn't dare…" he trailed off, knowing that she probably would.

"Say you're sorry," she said, fingering her radio tentatively.

"Fine. I'm sorry, love. No more jumping overboard. Forgive me?" he chuckled.

Laura smiled broadly and reached a hand out to him. "Always," she replied happily. "Besides, this little break has put me in the mood for another kilometer at least."

Carson muttered as he took the offered hand and pulling himself back up onto the city. "Fantastic," he grumbled.


	3. Fire

Carson stretched his legs as he settled onto one of the deserted benches by the bonfire. He'd spent most of the day trading medicines and herbal remedies with the healers on Maltha, one of the few planets in Pegasus that hadn't tried to kill them. Yet, Rodney insisted on adding after each successive visit, they hadn't tried to kill us yet. Carson wasn't nearly as pessimistic, but he added the yet for good measure. The Malthans were a friendly and adept farming community and in exchange for medical advice and instruction in various new planting techniques, the community was more than willing to share some of its crops with Atlantis.

It was planting season on Maltha, so Elizabeth had sent three teams and a small medical contingent to aid in the process as a sign of goodwill. After the talks and work was finished for the day, Norvis, one of the Elders of the community, invited the group to stay for their planting festival that evening. An evening of song and dance and celebration, he explained. A time of sharing with friends and allies and general relaxation after the hard times of the planting. 'Planting festival' was only slightly less frightening than 'harvest festival', but Colonel Sheppard had been appropriately wary, and Rodney was generally pessimistic about the entire ordeal until one of the pretty blonde women of the community smiled sweetly and asked him personally to stay. For all of the man's bluster, it was amazing what a pretty face could get Rodney to do, Carson chuckled as he took a sip of his drink and clapped with the rest of the villagers as a crowd of women started to circle around the bonfire in dance.

"So, we're not dead yet, food's not been poisoned yet and no one's stumbled on hidden caches of atomic weapons," Rodney said, taking a place on the bench next to Carson and taking bite out of an unidentified meat on a stick. "Not a bad end to the day."

"Aye, not bad at all," Carson chuckled, still watching the dance around the fire. It looked less a choreographed dance and more an excuse for the village woman to spin around the fire to a drum beat being banged out by a few of the children off to the side, and to drag a few of their less coordinated friends with them. "I could grow accustomed to not being attacked – is that Laura?" he asked, shifting gears as soon as he caught a glimpse of the familiar blonde hair whipping around, loose and unrestrained from its typical off-world ponytail and bun.

"Mmm," Rodney nodded, still chewing on his dinner. "And she's got Teyla in tow."

The pair were holding hands in a long line of women now snaking and running around the fire, laughing like children, before letting go and spreading out into the crowd. Laura stumbled slightly as the group let go, tripping neatly onto Carson's lap and laughing like that was her intention the entire time. "Wow," she said, wiping the sweat from her forehead and pushing her hair back as she spoke. "That was something."

"Aye, it was," Carson agreed as he wrapped an arm around her to steady her in his lap. "What possessed you to do that?"

Laura shrugged, snatching one of the meat sticks from Rodney. He attempted to complain, but she turned her attention back to Carson and effectively tuned the ranting out. "Ava, Norvis' wife, said that it was tradition and we were guests and we should get up there with them. So they pulled Teyla up, who grabbed me because of course she's not going to get up here and shimmy all alone," she replied lightly. "It was fun. A bit frivolous, and since it didn't seem like Colonel Sheppard and the rest were watching too closely, we thought we'd do it for the good of the team." She grinned happily. "Friend building and all. I'm looking out for you, Beckett. That dance just bought us a whole nother carton of semi-carrots."

"Then I thank you, love," Carson replied, placing a light kiss on her cheek. "I do enjoy semi-carrots."

"I enjoy not dying at the hands of restless festival-throwing natives," Rodney commented. "So if you and Teyla shaking your groove thing around a fire keeps me alive for another night, knock yourselves out."

"Oh, thanks Rodney," Laura cooed. "I lose sleep at night wishing and hoping to be able to do something ridiculous in order to keep you alive for one more night. I can go to bed happy and content tonight."

Rodney was going to reply back when the pretty blonde woman from before approached him, offering her hand and leaning down to whisper something in his ear. Carson couldn't make out what it was, but it made Rodney jump up from his seat and follow her to another grouping of people. "I wonder what that was about?" he mused.

"Who cares," Laura chuckled, wrapping her arms around Carson's neck and kissing him lightly. "I think we're alone now," she added in an exaggerated whisper.

"Aye, you and I and the entire village," Carson replied. He pulled her back so that she rested her head against his shoulder. "It's been a good day."

"Yep, it sure has," she sighed. "But I'm damn tired. Those plows didn't push themselves, you know."

"I see that you are enjoying yourself, Dr. Beckett."

Carson glanced up quickly, smiling as Norvis approached them. "Oh, yes I am. This is a lovely festival, Norvis. We're all quite happy you invited us to join you."

"I am just pleased to see that not all of the Atlanteans are alone tonight," he answered pleasantly. "I was beginning to think that your entire people were celibate."

Laura's head jerked off of Carson's shoulder at that, glancing uncomfortably at Norvis. "Do what?" she asked, much to the Elder's amusement.

"This is a festival of planting in all regards. I am pleased to see that your people wish to take part in all aspects of the festival." Norvis glanced behind him and then motioned for Carson and Laura to follow him. "Please, come this way."

There didn't seem to be much room for argument, Carson thought as he and Laura rose from the bench to follow the Elder from the crowd at the bonfire to a nearby grouping of tents. Norvis pulled back one of the tent flaps and motioned for the pair to precede him in. It was a small, spartan tent, with nothing more than a large grouping of pillows on the ground and a jug of a liquid, though Carson couldn't tell what. "You may take as long as you like, we are not a rushed people. Do enjoy yourselves and return to the fires when you are finished."

Carson glanced at Laura as Norvis buttoned the flap closed behind him. "So," he said, motioning to the pillows. "We're supposed to-"

"Yep," Laura nodded, grinning.

"Right here?"

"Yep."

Carson shook his head. "Well, I didn't suspect this when they were talking about planting." He looked over to smile at Laura. "So… what are we to do?"

"Well," Laura answered slowly, unzipping her jacket and making her way over to the pile of pillows. She dropped it lazily on the pillows and motioned for Carson to join her. "When in Maltha…" she drawled.

Carson happily complied.


	4. Earth

Laura thinks he's is being recalled to Earth for new staff selections. 

That's not entirely true, Carson conceeded as he watched the houses pass by as the taxi looked for the correct address. The population of Atlantis continues to expand, with new military being assigned on each trip of the _Daedalus_, and a growing segment of Pegasus natives that Colonel Sheppard and his team have collected from their off-world missions taking up residence in the city. With this influx of new people getting injured from missions off-world, from explorations of the city, from touching things that Rodney and Zelenka have warned people not to touch… from Rodney and Zelenka touching things that they didn't know they weren't supposed to touch… All of these just strengthen his argument for a larger medical staff in the city, especially staff trained in emergency medicine.

He'd spent two days at Cheyenne Mountain interviewing potential staff. He could farm out the job, or trust the SGC to hire quality people, but he's far too hands on for that. There has to be something about the people he hires, a spark that lets him know they'll be alright out here in Pegasus. That's something he learned quickly that a resume will never tell him.

Laura thinks that he's going to spend his time after staff interviews holding a seminar with SGC medical on new advances in the ATA gene research.

That was basically a lie. He submitted he knew could never be published to the program to inform the researchers at the base of his findings, but there wasn't anything that he needed to brief them on personally. Especially with the frequent data transfer between Earth and Atlantis, they'd already been briefed with his latest important findings almost as soon as they'd occurred.

No, he wanted to spend as little time as possible inside that bunker as possible. He'd grown used to seeing the vast expanse of ocean from every window in the city, and now the mountain complex seemed terribly claustrophobic. Instead of staying, he was going to take a few days to travel.

Laura thinks that if he gets a chance, he'll go home and see his mum. His cousin Abigail just found out she was pregnant, after all.

He would find his way to Scotland, of course. There was no way he could visit Earth and not run by and see his mother and family. Most of the people who went to Atlantis in that first wave either had no family or refused to talk about them, so he was singular in his affection for his family. No, this time instead of flying out of Denver, he'd fly out of Baltimore. There was something he had to do there, after all.

The taxi pulled in front of a home in Towson and Carson thanked and paid the driver quickly. They were expecting him, and while very few things made him nervous these days that didn't include Wraith attacks or reversions to bug-like creatures, he had to remind himself to breath as he walked up the stairs to ring the door bell.

Laura thinks he didn't want to take the break and come do work on Earth. She thinks its more of the same old, same old that he could've done from his office back in the infirmary.

He smiles broadly as a woman opens the door. There's a definite resemblance. "Mrs. Cadman?" he asks, extending his hand. "I'm Carson Beckett. It's a pleasure to meet you. Laura's told me so much about you."

Laura doesn't know that he's having dinner with her parents, introducing her father to a favorite scotch, and asking him questions he'd almost given up hope of getting the chance to ask. She doesn't know that her mother is calling her brother over to the house to meet Carson, and that the group of them will share stories about her up until Carson has to leave to catch his flight to Glasgow.

And Carson's glad she doesn't know yet. There are far too few happy surprises on Atlantis.


	5. Aether

Laura leaned forward against the railing, taking in the spectacular view from the North Tower balcony. Nights in Atlantis were more often than not both cool and clear. The wind whipped off of the water, blowing her hair around because she refused to tie it up when she was off-duty. There was something about standing up here, far away from the noise and commotion of the city proper, far away from the pungent smells of Athosian coffees and whatever not-delicacy the mess was serving, far away from reports and meetings and injuries and armories. Standing up here she could smile against the night breeze and watch the stars arranged in unfamiliar constellations twinkle and pretend like she was rediscovering Atlantis for the first time.

"Penny for your thoughts."

She smiled brightly, pausing for a minute to find the right words. "Galileo," she finally answered as she turned to face Carson, who was mimicking her stance against the railing. "I was thinking about Galileo."

Carson looked confused for a moment. It wasn't the answer he was expecting, and curiosity seemed to get the best of him. "And what do you mean by that?"

"It's like we can discover everything over and over again from up here," Laura explained. "Galileo looked up into the sky and discovered all of these wonders, and here we are, doing the same thing, wondering if that star right there has friendly natives or that one has something like chocolate," she added, motioning to a pair of bright stars hovering above the west pier.

Carson smiled easily. "You're feeling meaningful tonight."

"Well, I'm thinking deep thoughts over here right now."

"But that's not what you're really thinking about."

Laura cringed slightly. He could read her entirely too well. No, her mind was on another thought, but she hesitated to say it. Once she said it, there was no taking it back. And she wasn't sure if she wanted to risk…

Oh, to hell with it.

"If we were back on Earth, would you have asked me to marry you by now?" she blurted out before she could talk herself out of it.

Carson's mouth twitched in amusement, but he struggled to keep a neutral expression. "Excuse me?" he asked. He turned around to lean with his back against the railing and slipped his hands into his jacket pockets. "Did you just ask me to marry you?"

Laura flushed. "No! I mean, not really. It was just a question, and I was wondering, and I probably shouldn't have asked… why are you laughing at me?" she snapped as soon as Carson doubled into laughter.

He wiped a tear from his eye and took a moment to compose himself before placing a hand gently against her chin. "I'm not laughing at you, love. I'm laughing at fate right now." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small ring. Laura gaped slightly as the starlight caught in the gem's facets as Carson twisted it slightly in his fingers. "I was going to go to all this trouble to ask. I was going to set it up perfectly. I'd bring dinner up here to the balcony, filch a bottle of Athosian wine from Teyla. I was going to wait until dusk, when the sky had those reds and purples in it that you say reminds you of home. And I was going to do the very traditional thing and get down on a knee and ask you to marry me." He shrugged slightly, considering the ring in his hand. "I guess that's out of the question now."

Laura tried to sputter a response. "You… you what?"

"So yes, if we were on Earth, I would've asked you already," Carson continued. "It took me a while longer because I had to get back to Earth and introduce myself to your family…"

"What?" Laura's gaze moved from the ring to Carson's face. "How… you mean…"

"Aye, I made a quick stop on my way from Colorado to Scotland," he chuckled. "But to answer your question-"

"No!" she snapped. "No, you're not answering my question! You're going to do all of those things that you said you were going to do! That is too good not to get."

Carson smiled, trying not to laugh at her insistence. "But you already know," he countered.

Laura shrugged, grinning innocently. "But I can forget," she replied. "Easy done. Now, put that back in your pocket and lets try again."

Carson nodded, complying with her request. As soon as the ring was safely tucked away, he leaned against the railing and smiled gently at Laura. "So, love. I was thinking… how would you feel about a picnic up here tomorrow evening? I've got something I want to talk to you about."

Laura shifted closer and laid her head against his shoulder as she stared out at the dark sky. "I think that sounds great," she answered. "I can't wait."


End file.
